6 Tips to Increase Treatment Acceptance by Kristine Hodsdon

I often hear, “I didn’t like selling”, “I don’t like being pushy” or “I don’t like feeling like I am manipulating my patients.” What follows is, “I want to learn how to have conversations with patients without losing my integrity, and allows me to be “naturally” whom I am.

Here’s an insight I want to share. If you want to provide more care, increase treatment acceptance and be in service to your patients, then you have to align your entire practice and team (business) to inspire your patients to say YES to themselves.

This is huge, so I need to repeat this.

The art of increasing treatment acceptance is inspiring your patients to say YES to themselves, and what they want first and then naturally deciding to partner with you as a result of that commitment.

The following are 6 Tips of Case Acceptance Conversations

(1) Care about the person more than getting a YES for case acceptance
When you are focused on being a partner with your patient, you will be perceived as an ally. And when you are clinging to “selling the treatment,” your patient will experience the energy of the conversation as slick or unsavory. Your “being” is to think less about yourself and what’s in it for you (such as production), and put much more attention on your patient and what is in it for them.

(2) Connection Counts More Than Anything
The relationship you have with your patient is much more powerful than anything else. So even if you make some mistakes, you will be fine if you maintain a connection and a bond.

(3) Acknowledge, Acknowledge, Acknowledge
Mirror back as much as you can to the person you are speaking to (Influencing Cycle), and show them fully that you are excited for them to get to where they want to go and be compassionate about their motivators and concerns. You want them to feel deeply seen, heard and understood. If you can create that experience that in itself, is a tremendous gift.

(4) Be Curious
Your questions and curiosity for your patients will be a breath of fresh air. And, your patients will notice the difference between genuine curiosity and fake curiosity just so you can gather information to get to the yes is case acceptance. So, it has got to be genuine.
(5) Let Go of Force in the Process
Once you start trying to convince, or once you start “manipulating” or trying to change someone’s mind, the process breaks down. This happens when you are trying to sell someone on your value, or “this is what you need,” “should do” or “well, if you where my mother, this is what I would recommend.” Instead, when you help your patients
• Create clarity around their health,
• Identify their motivators and concerns in commitment to themselves,
• Help them decide to invest in themselves through your services and team, well, the rest of the case acceptance pieces fall into place.

6) Be a Matchmaker
It has is not about you getting the production scheduled, it is about exploring whether there’s a match between your patient’s current oral health wants/needs and your treatments and services. When there’s a match, you can create healthy and profitable magic together. And when there is not, you can suggest another direction and or professional options.